Headache and High Blood Pressure: A New Link?

Headaches
are one of the common health complaints for which people seek out
treatment from a healthcare provider. High blood pressure is also very
common, affecting about 50 million Americans. Could the two be linked?
Yes, but not in the way you may think. While some doctors question
whether taking pain pills actually corrects the cause of the headache,
there are also other perhaps more seemingly silent concerns. Is simply
cutting the fire alarm when the house is on fire ever a good idea? If
your headache is coming from a problem such as a joint dysfunction in
the neck, is taking a pill going to do anything to help heal the joint
injury?

We all see the TV commercials and the long pill aisles at
the supermarket. Could our excessive use of these drugs be causing
another problem, one that may not be explained on the pill bottle label?

Researchers
looked at over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen (e.g.
Tylenol) and ibuprofen (e.g. Advil) to see if taking them over the
long-term elevates an individual’s risk for developing high blood
pressure (Hypertension 2005;46:500. Women’s Health Study I and II). The
study reviewed data concerning 5,123 women between the ages of 34 and 77
collected over the course of several years.

Compared with women
who did not use acetaminophen, the relative risk of high blood pressure
for those who took >500 mg per day was 1.93 (a 93% greater risk)
among older women and 1.99 among younger women—almost double the risk!

For
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen), the risk of
developing high blood pressure in older women also increased, ranging
from a 78% greater risk to as high as a 161% increased risk. For younger
women, the increased risks for hypertension ranged from a 10% increase
to a 132% increase.

The authors of the study concluded that
because acetaminophen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are
so commonly used, they might contribute to the increased prevalence of
high blood pressure in the United States.

Members of ChiroTrust® have taken “The ChiroTrust Pledge”: “To the best of my ability, I agree to provide my patients convenient, affordable, and mainstream Chiropractic care. I will not use unnecessary long-term treatment plans and/or therapies.”

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This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.